ELISA BELLA ROSSI seems like the life of the party, always ready for a wild night out. But beneath the surface, she's battling her own inner demons. One fateful night, she meets CHRISTOPHER NUÑEZ AGNELLO, a man with a turbulent past who has found hi...
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I should be able to kick back and have a good time. The vibes at the cliff are damn near perfect right now. Bodies are grooving to some loud hip-hop, bottles are cooling off in chillers scattered around, and everyone's in high spirits. A party just the way I like them.
Only problem is, I can't relax when I'm fretting about my people's safety and wellbeing. Ayla's MIA, but I'm not worried. Cameron joined us earlier, and I know she's safe with him. Andrew? No issues there. He's probably somewhere chatting up a girl, trying to snag as many numbers as possible.
Elisa was with Ayla and me at first, looking all content like she was analyzing the scene. Soon as Cameron showed up and Ayla left with him, Elisa bounced too. But I got no clue where she went. She's not exactly one of my people, yet I can't help stressing over her. Something tells me leaving her alone at this wild party is not the brightest idea. Not that she can't handle it—she's clearly used to the party scene. But I didn't buy her act earlier, and I'm convinced she's just dodging the inevitable. People make lousy decisions when they're at rock bottom.
It shouldn't be my problem. Met the girl under some strange circumstances just about a week and a half ago. But ever since I hit her with my car, she's been haunting me. I see her dark blue eyes, long black hair, and bruised body in my mind all the time. It's like a ghost I can't shake. I can't stop worrying about her, and I constantly have to rein it in because, hell, I don't know the girl. I shouldn't care this much.
There's just something about her... I can't quite put my finger on it.
I did what I had to do. Helped her when she was clearly in distress. Ayla and I even went the extra mile. So why the heck am I still anxious about her? It's like I can't let go and stop worrying. And I don't particularly enjoy being this protective over someone I just met.
I wanted her to get her stuff at Stefano's ASAP and be on her way out, because that urge to understand her completely and see what she's about gave me serious anxiety. I forced myself not to, keeping things high-level and acting unbothered around her for the past week. But after what happened earlier at Stefano's, my heart started pumping like crazy. Where is she going to go next? What scumbag is going to take advantage of her next? The thought makes me nauseous.
I don't want to feel this way about her. The feeling that I need to protect her, that I need to... save her. Yet, my anxiety from not knowing where she is right now proves that I may already be screwed.
So, I start scanning the crowd for her. I need to know her game plan, at least so I can relax a bit. Then, she can do whatever she wants. I just need to know she'll be safe. If she becomes someone else's problem, I'm fine with it, as long as that person isn't some scumbag like Stefano.
I'm weaving through the throng, a few people from my classes nodding and greeting me. I give them distracted responses, still hunting for Elisa. My eyes land on a rowdy group, cheering on a girl who's getting hard liquor poured straight into her mouth. Her back's to me, long black hair cascading down her back, and I know right then and there—it's Elisa.
